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Community Employment Drug Rehabilitation Projects

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 18 December 2018

Tuesday, 18 December 2018

Ceisteanna (630)

John Curran

Ceist:

630. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection if she will provide a report on the work of the programme framework for community employment drug rehabilitation schemes during 2018; the funding provided for same in 2018; the number of individuals supported; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [53094/18]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As the Deputy is aware, Community Employment (CE) aims to help the long-term unemployed to re-enter the workforce by breaking their cycle of unemployment through a return to a regular work routine and through the provision of training and development.

The CE Drug Rehabilitation Programme Framework was implemented in January 2016 and involves a multi-agency approach to rehabilitation and is designed to meet the challenging needs of individuals in recovery and to ensure effective and sustainable outcomes. This integrated service response is based on interventions from a wide range of voluntary and community based addiction services and includes statutory engagement through the HSE and Local Education and Training Boards (LETBs). The engagement of Local and Regional Alcohol and Drug Task Forces is also a feature of the scheme activities.

The Department continues to support the objectives of the national drugs strategy “Reducing Harm, Supporting Recovery” 2017-2025 with focused services for the labour market re-integration of people recovering from substance misuse. Primary amongst these is the CE Programme with an allocation of 1,000 dedicated ring-fenced drug rehabilitation places.

Schemes are delivered by CE sponsoring organisations with experience in the area of drug treatment and rehabilitation. Likewise, the CE Supervisors have experience and competence in the rehabilitation area. All participants engage in an individual learner plan (ILP) which tracks, records and reports on all achievements throughout the programme. Participants move towards re-engagement in community and working life at their own pace in a supportive environment and can progress towards further training or employment. Funding is made available for approved training to support individual goals.

At the end of November 2018, there were 47 dedicated drug rehabilitation CE schemes nationally. A total of 980 participants were placed in drug rehabilitation places on CE (875 in the dedicated ring-fenced drug rehabilitation schemes and 105 in the drug rehabilitation placements in CE mainstream schemes). The estimated cost of the dedicated schemes is in the region of €24m.

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